Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.
III. AdversityThey are dear fish to me
AnonymousT
A pleasant sight to see;
And blithesome were the wee, wee bairns
That played around her knee.
A poor fish-wife came by,
And, turning from the toilsome road,
Unto the door drew nigh.
And spread its scaly store;
With trembling hands and pleading words,
She told them o’er and o’er.
“We ’re no sae scarce o’ cheer;
Tak’ up your creel, and gang your ways,—
I ’ll buy nae fish sae dear.”
A weary sight to see;
Right sorely sighed the poor fish-wife,
“They are dear fish to me!
And when the storm blew o’er,
My husband, and my three brave sons,
Lay corpses on the shore.
A childless widow three;
I maun buy them now to sell again,—
They are dear fish to me!”
What was ’t upon her cheek?
What was there rising in her breast,
That then she scarce could speak?
Her lightsome laddies three;
The woman’s words had pierced her heart,—
“They are dear fish to me!”
And pity’s gathering tear;
“Come in, come in, my poor woman,
Ye ’re kindly welcome here.
Your weary lot to dree;
I ’ll ne’er forget your sad, sad words:
‘They are dear fish to me!’”
To pause ere they deny
The meed of honest toil, and think
How much their gold may buy,—
What woman’s misery,—
What breaking hearts might swell the cry:
“They are dear fish to me!”